- 24/ M / Australasian
- Bachelor of Fine Arts/ Otis College of Art and Design / 2010
- M.Arch I candidate
- GPA 3.63, cum laude
- GRE V470 Q580 W3.5 (I am not a good test-taker)
- TOEFL iBT 104 (above the 100 cut off for ivies)
- Four letters: 2 former employers, 1 former employer/professor, 1 chair of undergrad
- things that stand out? international student; lived in 5 countries; undergrad scholarship award recipient; several awards/exhibitions
- I've yet to finish my Calc and Physics requirements

ACCEPTED TO:

Columbia GSAPP (M.Arch I - 3+)
UCLA (M.Arch I - 3+)
WUSTL (M.Arch II - AP 2+, and offered dual degree in M.Arch+MLA)
UIC (M.Arch II - AP 2+, and offered 1st year tuition waiver)


REJECTED FROM:

Yale
Harvard
Princeton


TO BE DETERMINED:

Penn



FINAL DECISION: looking like GSAPP!

woops forgot to add my major

- 24/ M / Australasian
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture/Landscape/Interiors / Otis College of Art and Design / 2010
- M.Arch I candidate
- GPA 3.63, cum laude
- GRE V470 Q580 W3.5
- TOEFL iBT 104
- Four letters: 2 former employers, 1 former employer/professor, 1 chair of undergrad
- things that stand out? international student; lived in 5 countries; undergrad scholarship award recipient; several awards/exhibitions
- I've yet to finish my Calc and Physics requirements

ACCEPTED TO:

Columbia GSAPP (M.Arch I - 3+)
UCLA (M.Arch I - 3+)
WUSTL (M.Arch II - AP 2+, and offered dual degree in M.Arch+MLA)
UIC (M.Arch II - AP 2+, and offered 1st year tuition waiver)


REJECTED FROM:

Yale
Harvard
Princeton


TO BE DETERMINED:

Penn



FINAL DECISION: looking like GSAPP!

- 25/M/White
- BS Arch/ University of Cincinnati/ 2008
- gpa 2.99
- gre v650 q790 w4.0
- 3 letters of recommendations: 1 professor from undergrad / former employer (semi famous architect) / another former employer
- wide range of experiences from art to architecture and made most of terrible economic times by doing competitions with local philadelphia architects
- portfolio pretty decent
- Applied: Columbia, MIT, Penn, Princeton, UCLA, Yale
- Accepted: Columbia, UCLA - Rejected: Princeton, Yale - TBD: Penn, MIT

Final Decision: Looking like GSAPP, although the open houses could change my mind. I probably will only go to 2 or 3 depending where i get in.

22/F/White
- BA(Hons)/ University Of Cambridge/ 2009
- GPA- n/a
- GRE 680V 630Q
- 5 of letter of recommendations (for GSD)/ from 2 employers (both directors of the firms i have worked for), 2 professors (a studio tutor and my director of studies from Cam) and an old teacher of mine.
- Personal essay- quite an academic standpoint, 2 years full time in practice.
- Portfolio- on other thread

IN

GSD March 1 AP
Princeton March 1
GSAPP March 1
Yale March 1

Final decision- I think between Harvard and Princeton.

- 22/F/White
- BA (architecture major) / UPENN / 2010
- 3.75 (magna cum laude)
- GRE 570V 690Q (I get that they are abysmal. I didn't prepare at all, and was too cheap to retake them.)
- 4 letters of recommendation / from 3 professors (one was the department chair, and 2 were GSD alums) and from 1 employer (also a Harvard alum)
- things that stand out? My personal essay was pretty 'rockin. I fancy myself a writer, and talked about a research project I did my senior year. I also had an internship abroad, if that helps.

Rejected: Yale, Princeton
Accepted: GSD (haven't gotten the fin aid package yet)

If I get enough aid, I'll be heading to Boston this fall!

- 23/m/White
- BS in Arch / UMich TCAUP / 2009
- 3.53
- GRE 580V 770Q 4.5W
- 3 letters of recommendation / from 2 professors (the type of people you want to write your letters, both made a brilliant effort/ 1 employer (FAIA - privileged to receive this one)
-portfolio / a couple projects from school, one from a french summer workshop, 2 competition projects (a few were involved in various publications/exhibits)

can't post port because some a**hole stole my laptop as well as my portable HD from a friend's car a couple months ago, no digital copy left.


Rejected: Yale, Princeton
Waitlist: Michigan
Accepted: GSD, GSAPP

Looking forward to both open houses, a trip to Boston through NYC will make a for a hella-fun long weekend. 99% sure I'll be in Cambridge next fall.

20/F/Asian (Thai)
- Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Design (B.sc.Arch) / Chulalongkorn University / 2011 (now doing an exchange program in University of Hawaii at Manoa)
- GPA 3.98
- GRE 540V 790Q 3.5W
- TOEFL 104
- 3 Letters of Recommendation, From 3 Professors, 1 GSAPP Alumni, 2 Harvard Alumnis
- A guess my personal statement stands out the most -having been the tsunami survivor.

Accepted:
Harvard
Columbia
Yale
(All M.Arch I)

- Planning to go visit the schools during springbreak later this march but will not be able to attend the open house in april because of school.

- But i think it is very likely i'll be heading to GSD!!!

25/F/Asian (also THAI)
-B.Arch Virginia Tech
-GPA 3.5
-GRE 390V 670Q 3W
-TOEFL 108
-3 Letters of Recommendation; 2 employees (one is Princeton alum and another is GSD alum), 1 Prof (Upenn alum).
-variety of work in portfolio including several national and international competitions, school works and prof works.

Rejected:
Harvard (M.Dess)


Accepted:
Princeton (M.Arch post-prof. 1.5 yrs)



no decision to make...goin to Princeton this fall.

- 22/male/Iranian
- B.Arch/ Azad University Tehran/ 2011
- GRE V350/Q720
- TOEFL iBT 101
- 3 of letter of recommendations/ 1 employer, 2 professors
- outstanding portfolio according to comments of viewers
- applied to :
YALE(reject),
COLUMBIA(accepted MSAAD),
SCI ARC(Accepted M.Arch),
U MICH(Accepted M.Arch 2G),
RICE(waiting),
CORNELL(waiting)

- Final decision: UMich postal notification is yet to come, and the fin aid info is in it, is awarded that's it, if not could be SCI-Arc. also still waiting for Rice and Cornell.
But I am not going to GSAPP

@CThomas

Don't think it twice, go to Princeton....

27/Female/White
BA Geography Honors, summa cum laude, UT Austin
GRE V 640/ Q 710

Recommendations from my kindergarten teacher (I'm not kidding); Career Disco instructor; undergrad advisor

Professional experience in government and press relations

Essay focused on politics, architecture and inherent biases; imperative to focus resources in developing communities, particularly in Latino populations in the south and southwest

Portfolio a mixture of figure drawings, Career Disco projects, found object furniture


Applied and accepted/
UT Austin
Michigan
GSD

I've ruled out Michigan (it's fucking cold) and Ann Arbor is a college town. I know my own needs for environment for four years.

Here's to physics this summer.

26/Male/White
B.Arch University of Arizona, Tucson AZ
GPA 3.2
GRE =not a big deal, but low

Recommendations: My boss a former GSD teacher and alum, My thesis chair professor from UofA, My friend a partner at ZGF in LA

Professional Experience: Construction Management, Design Build and two years design architect @ ZGF in Los Angeles

Essay: just shot from the hip. I wrote about my desire to utilize urbanism in concert with my architecture background. I explained my goals to develop an independent architecture practice at a young age and my current lack of experience and knowledge to attain it.

Portfolio consisting of non-busy pages which explained my thought process. Nothing overly flashy, however I illustrated a collection of varying scaled projects i.e. (my large transportation terminals thesis project and a fourth year project in which I and a partner had to developed a small detail and have it built by local manufacturers). Total pages 56

Accepted to:

Michigan 2G
Michigan MUD
Columbia MSAUD
Harvard GSD MAUD

Denied from:

Princeton March II
Yale March II

Waiting on:
UCLA
MIT

Harvard was and still is my first choice, some great resources there and fantastic faculty. How will I pay for it…your guess is as good as mine :-)

Good luck everyone!

Morteza

why not GSAPP?

23/m/white

M.Arch (5+ yr. first prof. degree), Univ. Kansas, Summa Cum Laude
2 sem. grad studies @ FH Potsdam
1 sem. undergrad studies @ Cooper Union
GPA: 3.85
GRE: 580V, 680Q, 3.5AW

Recs: M.Arch thesis advisor (B.Arch Univ. Kansas alum, partner at corporate firm), sculpture professor (MFA Queens College alum), 3rd year professor (M.Arch Penn alum, PA award winner)

Professional Experience: 3 month internship at design-build firm, 3 month term as project designer at Kansas Dept. of Environment, Health and Saftey, 3 month term in sales + logistics for NYC men's fashion company.

Essay: I tailored each essay to the respective programs, positioning my past work within the prospective school's pedagogical culture. i cited specefic professors and their research agendas, comparing and contrasting my ideoligies with theirs.

Portfolio: http://issuu.com/p.zuroweste/docs/portfolio

IN...
GSAPP MSAAD, +15K
GSD M.Arch II, waiting on funding

OUT...
Princeton M.Arch II

WAITING...
MIT SMarchS Arch + Urbanism

My first choice was Princeton : (
Second choice tie between GSD and MIT. These are are two very different programs. GSD seems like it's trying to polish the profession... tastefully refining the discipline's paramters while producing informed and office-ready graduates. MIT seems like it's trying to devour our understanding of the profession from the inside out, encouraging it's students to undermine all existing paradigms and invent novel relationships between body, architecture, city, territroy, nation, world, etc.

what is career disco?

israelias

I am admitted to MSAAD program at GSAPP, there are several issues that despite I like Columbia and NYC, I can't attend: the cost is high and there is no funding possiblity for international students, MSAAD is not a professional degree, it starts at june and visa process and other stuff take more time than that.

@ eeevalynne

When I first read that, I thought beezely got recs from both her kindergarden teacher and a disco dance instructor, which would subsequently make her the coolest person ever. Alas, Career Discovery is Harvard's summer program.

LOL, thats what i thought too!

I thought it was a night club :)

21 (youngin'), M, american
BS in Architecture, UMichigan TCAUP, 2011
GPA: 3.75
GRE: v570 q790
3 letters of rec (2 arch studio professors, one arch elective professors)

denied: GSD

waitlist: Yale

accepted:
UMichigan MArch II
UCLA MArch I
Columbia GSAPP MArch I

waiting on: MIT and UPenn

Final decision has not yet been made. but as of now, i really want to go to columbia - but haven't yet decided if i can live with the massive amount of debt i would accrue...
i'm really excited about UCLA as an alternate (waiting on possible scholarship).

here's my question though: as i look at the work coming out of UCLA (both students coming out of their MArch program and the faculty who teach MArch), to ME, it looks just as good as some of the best east coast schools who receive higher praise and attention.

as you look at my list of schools i applied to, you'll notice i am not immune to this east coast bias. but why is the west half of the country overshadowed by the ivy league? is there that much concentration of faculty talent in new england or perhaps should we recognize the west coast more?

^^

NY has a lot of talent because, well its new york. As far as the rest of the east coast schools, many of them draw from this NYC talent pool, in fact @ Penn a good bit of the studio instructors make the trip down from NYC once or twice a week to lead studio. As far as the west coast it seems to me that they are all concentrated in LA and therefor teach at UCLA or Sci-Arc. And i think the professors out west that we are speaking of are just as well known as their east coast counter parts (Thom Mayne, Moss, Lynn...)

is there that much concentration of faculty talent in new england?

yea, i think so... there is good faculty in california, though

post your portfolio, simpliformed! =)

32 / M / White
- The Cooper Union 01 - BFA, University of Art Design Basel, Design.
- GPA 3.6
- GRE scores 630 V, 670 M, Writing 4.
- 3 rec.letters (Arch Prof, Design Director, Old University Teacher)
- Interaction Designer by trade with extensive design experience.
- UCB Intro to Architecture Summer Class
- No Calculus. Plenty of Art History

Accepted: UCB, MIT, Harvard GSD, Columbia GSAPP, Sci-Arc. MArch 3.5.
Waiting: AA in London, CCA in SF.

Will be at the open houses for UCB, MIT, GSD, Columbia. I'll be doing the open house crawl come April from NYC to Cambridge.

Torn between MIT and GSD but really really want to go to the AA.

Peace!!!

Morteza

I'm int'l too. The acceptance letter said they are able to offer financial aid for us. I'd really love to get more info in the mail but all of Columbia's stuff is online. I appreciate the sensitivity to a greener movement but the website is a little hard to navigate.
Is the GSAPP the most expensive among the ivies?

InTheRunning

Are you m.arch I (3yr) for ALL those schools? Congrats by the way. Surprised you didn't go for The Bartlett.
Going to the GSAPP open house too. I've yet to RSVP though.

@Morteza

Yes. 3 or 3.5 depending on the program. I don't have an Arch undergaduate background so was the only option. Thought about the Bartlett but was just overwhelmed with apps, life choices.

As for the open house I'll be the one with the hipster glasses and all black clothes. Ohhh wait. That's every architect. ;-) Later.

@jk3hl

here's my portfolio. nothing too crazy, fairly clean and simple:

http://issuu.com/harmon_timothy/docs/marchapp

israelias, Thank you

Yes, I guess GSAPP is the most expensive ivy, also downtown housing is much more expensive than sub-urban ivies like Cornell.
Financial aids they're offering to international students, according to their email are:
1.International students may qualify for some loans with a US co-signer.
2.The GSAPP does offer merit-based teaching assistantship opportunities. These positions are generally given to second-year students and may include partial tuition exemption and a stipend

MSAAD program only takes 1 year ( 3 semesters ), so I won't make it through 2nd year in order to benefit from Assistanceship awards.

By the way, here's my portfolio:

http://mortezakarimi.com/portfolio/

26 male
BS in Interior Design / Construction Management
GPA: 3.4
3 letters of rec from Professors
Construction Background
Intern at Arch firm...
LEED GA

Applied to M.arch programs at

accepted:
SAIC W/ $$$ Top Choice !

Waiting...

MASS ART ( got an admissions interview ...)
RISD
UC Denver
Cornell

To everyone worried about GSAPP's cost...

My boyfriend currently is in his second year at GSAPP, and I just got accepted for next year. He didn't receive any aid for his first year (neither did I), however they do offer more financial aid for 2nd and 3rd years as your need increases. They also have assistantships, where you TA a class and get a stipend for the semester as well as a small weekly stipend. There are quite a few of these assistantship positions available, but you do have to apply for them.

Another thing to consider is that the M.Arch I program is only 3 years, as opposed to the 3.5 years of most other Ivy's. So while tuition does seem more expensive, you have one less semester to pay.

Plus, I currently live in NYC and it is a really great place to live :)

20/F/Canaussie-Asian
B.A. Maj Arch Design & Psych/UToronto/2011
3.53
560V 740Q 4.5W
3 Letters: 2 studio professors, 1 employer (also a professor)

What stands out: Really no clue. Thought I'd be particularly young, but it doesn't seem to be the case at all judging by this thread. So dunno. Portfolio, maybe?
Portfolio: Guess I'll upload if there's someone interested in seeing.

In: GSD ($?), UToronto (10k), SCI-Arc ($?).
Out: Princeton, Yale
Waiting: Cooper Union

Final decision: Most likely GSD, unless Cooper Union changes my mind...

Post it! Everyone should post their portfolio's.

24/M/Nepali
BA Art & Art History (studio focus), Dickinson College PA
3.5
670V / 740Q / 4.5W
3 letter from studio professors

what stands out: not sure, international, heavy travel experience, a couple of internships, not sure really.

portfolio

In: GSAPP(+12k), GSD (?$), YSOA (?$), Parsons(?$), RISD (+10K) :D

Waiting for MIT still

Final Decision: will depend on $$$ - but if all is the same it'll be between YSOA GSD and MIT.

jetvancake

GSAPP gave you scholarship $$$ and you're int'l? I thought it was need-based and only for US residents!

@ israelias

You're right. Technically i'm a permanent resident.

@CThomas - post portoflio pls. Curious!

Heres what i said on the other thread....

Here is a slightly shorter copy (it would just not upload to issuu at its original size with out seriously shrinking the file size and image quality, in the process a few pages have gone a little weird). I by no means think it is perfect, I think there is too much on many of the pages. However it does show a good range of drawings, hand, cad and models. There is quite a lot in it as well- so most aspects are covered i.e. technical as well as studio. Im pretty sure I had good references and my personal statement was written more like an academic essay, discussing my key points of interest within the field. I tried to talk about aspects architecture that specifically interest me rather than in more generic terms. Anyway hope it is of interest....

http://issuu.com/cthomas293/docs/portfolio_edited_2

Claire, that portfolio was incredible. You definately deserved all the acceptances, congratulations!

- 27/M/Black
- 5yr. B. Arch/Southern Polytechnic State University/2007
- GPA 2.84
- GRE 998 writing 4.6(Didn't study or prepare for this exam)
- (3) recommendation letters--
Thesis advisor
Former prof./first employer
Principal Architect at my current office.
- Spent a lot of time on the personal essays, also provided some additonal written work for Cooper.
- I did the summer Adv. Intro to Arch. program at GSAPP between 3rd and 4th year of my undergraduate studies(a turning point in my academic career).
- First prize--thesis of the year award.
- (4) yrs. professional experience--(1) in ATL, (3) in NYC
- Portfolio:
http://issuu.com/diaphanousabyss/docs/spatialexplorations

Applied to:

GSAPP--MSAAD
Cooper Union--M. Arch II

Accepted to:

GSAPP--18k scholarship
Cooper Union--Full scholarship

Final decision:

I'm torn!

@abyssinian - great work!! really interesting projects.

Heard back from my final two school today!

- 25 F Caucasian
- BA - Architecture/city planning, UC Berkeley, 2008
- 3.7 GPA
- GRE: verb: 550 quant: 690 analytical: 5.0

- 3 LOR A well known professor, a professional architect who was a visiting instructor at berkeley, and a former (except he just hired me again) employer- architect

- I was very straightforward in my personal statement - I know what I am looking for in an education, I know what I want to do with that education, so who wants to help me get there? I'm not really interested in the "poetics of space" and whatnot... for a graduate experience. want to get something different from my berkeley education.

- I had my port on issuu until someone 'favorite'd it, so I deleted it. sorry.
some of you have seen it - very clean, simple, no gimmicks. Showcased 5 undergrad studios - one was an honors studio, and another honors thesis studio (we worked in Rome). Definitely not heavy on the computer generated graphics because I kind of suck at them.. lots of models though. At the urge of a professor from UOregon and UWashington, I added several sketches and photographs from travels.

- Since graduation in 08, I lived/worked and traveled around east asia for a year, before moving back to Houston. been working as an office manager.

IN:
UT!!!!!!!!
U Oregon - Portland option II
U Washington
Arizona State

Waitlist:
GSAPP no surprise

OUT:
GSD
YALE
no surprise on those.. I threw those in last minute.. like 3 days before the dec 15 deadline at the urge of one of my recommenders.

Decision:

UT!! sooooo excited! Was my top choice all along but I was getting so nervous because so many acceptances had appeared on gradcafe already. Checked this morning while running errands for the office, and almost passed out. cannot believe it.

advice for future applicants:
really research the schools you want to go to, and figure out which one fits what you want to gain from your education. Don't just apply to the ivys because everyone else is. I could have saved $170 in app fees by not applying to gsd and yale.. Start your portfolio EARLY! I procrastinated forever, and ended up asking to only work part time for the whole month of october to focus on it. Lots of people say the waiting part is tough, but for me, after many sleepless nights worrying about everything I had to complete, I was happy to wait. hope this helps!

hey, i don't know if people have seen this - but thought i'd point it out

http://www.archinect.com/forum/threads.php?id=105105_0_42_0_C

its another discussion for people accepted into m arch programs, but specifically targeted to discuss upcoming open houses.

- 25/F
- B.A. Political Science/2008
- 3.9 GPA
- GRE: 730 verbal/770 quant
- 3 letters of recommendation from professors


IN:
Harvard
Yale
Columbia
Berkeley
MIT

WAITLIST:
Princeton


- Completely undecided. Waiting on fin aid info.

abyssinian - congratulations!

- 22/m/White
- B. of Environmental Design/ U. Colorado / 2011
- 3.48
- GRE: 410V 560Q 4.5W
- 3 recommendations: 2 studio instructors, 1 past employer
-portfolio: 4 studio projects, competition, and summer workshop

here's my portfolio minus the cover
http://issuu.com/ornberg/docs/blurb_final_layout

Accepted:
U. Michigan (2G)
U of I (AP)
UIC
IIT
Ball State (AP)

I'm a little bummed I didn't get a two year deal at UIC or IIT, because those are/were my top choices. They said they require 6 studios and Colorado only has us do 4 studios. But I think the decision will come down to UIC or Michigan.

- 29/m/white
- Dual BA, Political Science/Communication | University of Massachusetts Amherst | 3.8 GPA
- GRE: 640V 790Q 5.5W
- some M.Arch coursework completed at UTA

- recommendations from three studio critics (Cooper Union/Princeton, Syracuse and Cornell), one is also the director of UTA's graduate program
- recommendation from drawing professor (MIT)
- recommendation from studio teaching assistant (UT Austin)

- portfolio: 4 studio projects, some freehand drawings, emphasis on physical models, 3d renderings, and diagramming

accepted:
UT Austin
MIT
Parsons
Pratt (w/$10k)
IIT (w/advanced standing, would only need 4 more semesters)

rejected:
Harvard GSD (damn! m.arch II, perhaps?)

waiting to hear about funding from MIT, Parsons, IIT, and UT, as well as any advanced standing that UT might offer.

will very likely attend UT Austin, unless MIT gives me a ton more money than i'm expecting. but i am going to do my best to make it to all the open houses.

very glad this process is over.

@abyssinian

how does one get a 998 or a 4.6 on the GRE?

21/m/Asian
UCSD Visual Arts 3.7gpa
Gre: 490v 800Q 4w
recommendations from 2 contemporary LA artists and 1 San Diego artist (previous professors)

accepted: SCI-Arc

waiting: UCLA

@mr. minimal

Its embarassing, but 998 was my total--Verbal + Quantitative(did a really bad job timing myself), and 4.6w

lol, wtf? or, new gres? or, pretending-to-be-innocent joke?

- 21/F/Latina
- BA in Architecture/Clemson University/Spring 2011
- GPA 3.43
- GRE 470 V - 530 M - 3 W
- letters of recommendations from 3 Clemson architecture professors.
- Architecture study abroad programs:
Barcelona (4 months), NYC (2 months)
- AIAS Freedom by Design (Clemson Chapter) Project manager

- http://issuu.com/veronicaacosta/docs/portfolio

- http://cargocollective.com/veronicaacosta

- http://issuu.com/veronicaacosta

MASTER of ARCH programs (3 yrs)
- Accepted:
Parsons (15k)
Pratt (10k)
GSAPP (waiting on financial aid)

Waiting to hear from:
CCNY
NYIT

- Graduating in May 2011
waiting to finish calc requirement

- No final decision yet. But leaning towards Parsons the New School for Design because of their character and the 15K a year offer.